At the turn of the 20th century, guests in the Biltmore mansion were able to catch a glimpse of the lavish lifestyle led by George and Edith Vanderbilt. Though today the Biltmore is a museum set aside for daytime exploration, there’s still a way to experience that lifestyle with the Inn on Biltmore Estates.
“The Biltmore is an unexpected surprise for some people,” says Donnelly. “When you come to Biltmore it’s a step back in time when life moved at a slower pace. It’s got a mesmerizing quality. Where else are you going to find a castle in the middle of the mountains in the South? It’s enchanting.”
When George Vanderbilt roamed the Asheville, North Carolina estate a hundred years ago, the house was often full of family, friends and other visitors. They would stay for weeks at a time, enjoying the hospitality of the master and mistress of the house. Since visitors can no longer stay in the Biltmore house, the Inn on Biltmore Estates was created as a place meant to convey all the hallmarks of the Vanderbilts’ style. “We really intended to create a place of retreat and relaxation, which is what George Vanderbilt had wanted in his plans for the house,” says LeeAnn Donnelly, senior public relations manager at Biltmore. “It’s modern but it’s beautiful. It reflects all the elements of hospitality and of excellence in design. It’s as inviting and as gracious as Biltmore house.”
Situated at the top of the hill above the Biltmore Winery and Antler Hill Village, estate archivists were delighted to discover in some of George Vanderbilt’s documented plans that the inn is actually located where he had originally intended for a hotel to be placed. The inn contains 210 guest rooms, nine of which are spacious suites. Also contained in the 165,000 square feet of the inn are banquet rooms, a fine dining restaurant, swimming pool and, true to Vanderbilt style, a fully stocked library. Donnelly says guests are encouraged to borrow books during their stay, reading them by the crackling fireplace or back in their richly decorated guest accommodations. If a guest is more of a movie buff than book lover, the hotel also has all of the major movies that were filmed at the estate, including Richie Rich, Forrest Gump and The Last of the Mohicans.
EXPERIENCE AMERICA’S DOWNTON ABBEY:Downton Abbey fans can experience America’s own version of the fictional drama in person by visiting Biltmore. Special guided tours, including the “Biltmore House Butler’s Tour” and “Vanderbilt Family and Friends Tour” allow Downton experts to explore the similarities between the trending show and the real history of the Vanderbilts.